Thursday, May 30, 2013

Worship for Pentecost 2 - 2013

Thursday
after Trinity Sunday (Pentecost 1)

May 23, 2013

The Lord be
with you

This coming
Sunday is the Second Sunday after Pentecost. We are beginning the second half
of the Church Year, sometimes called the non-festival half of the Church Year.
We will use the service of Matins for our liturgy (page 219). This is a
non-communion service. Our appointed lessons are: 1 Kings 8:22-24, 27-29,
41-43; Galatians 1:1-12; and Luke 7:1-10. Instead of the Introit, we use the appointed
Psalm with Matins, which is Psalm 96:1-9 (the antiphon is verse 2). The text
for the sermon is Galatians 1:9. The sermon is titled “Fool’s Gold.” Our opening
hymn will be “By Grace I’m Saved” (LSB 566). The sermon hymn will be “My
Hope Is Built on Nothing Less” (LSB 575). Our closing hymn will be “The
Church’s One Foundation” (LSB 644).

Below is a
video of our sermon hymn, “My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less,” once again sung
and played for us by the Lutheran Warbler.

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In our prayers,
we will remember the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil and their President,
Rev. Egon Kopereck. We will remember the persecuted believers in Libya. We will
remember our missionary in Hong Kong, Megan Birney. She asks we “pray that the
Lord would pave the way and open hearts to the ministries of LCMS World
Mission, Church of All Nations, and The Lutheran Church—Hong Kong Synod. Ask
that the Lord would grant her discernment and wisdom as she serves in this
leadership role. Please pray that God will continue to bless the ministry in
Hong Kong and that nothing would hinder the work of the Holy Spirit!” We will
continue to remember the churches in our denomination. This week we lift up
before our Lord St. Paul’s,
Falls Church, VA; St. John’s, Farmville, VA; Redeemer,
Fredericksburg, VA; Prince of Peace, Glen Allen, VA; and Incarnate Word,
Florence, SC.

Naturally we
will continue to remember all those who have been misled by our cultures
advocacy of sexual immorality and abortion. We ask, not only that the Lord turn
our country around, but also that he bring healing to the lives damaged by our
current culture. We also remember the modern slave trade and ask God to bless
all efforts pleasing in his sight to end this sinful practice.

Our Sunday
morning Bible study will begin to study the Gospel of Luke, and will
follow that up with a study of Acts. All are welcome. Bible study begins at
9:00 am.

Preview of
Lessons

1 Kings
8:22-24, 27-29, 41-43

Solomon
reigned over a united Israel during what many consider the “golden age” of OT
Israel. One thing that marked Solomon’s reign was many ambitious building
projects. The Temple in Jerusalem, which was planned by David, was probably the
crowning achievement of his building program. After the temple was finished
there was a grand worship service that went on for days and days, dedicating
the temple. Our reading from 1 Kings is excerpts from a prayer by Solomon given
during that worship service. Solomon was the king and not a priest, so one
general observation might be that it is acceptable for laity to participate in
leading a congregation in worship. This does not mean the pastor can abdicate
his responsibility for the worship service, but it doesn’t have to be a
one-man-show. Even in a larger congregation that might have multiple pastors
and other paid “professionals,” involvement of the laity can be a real blessing
for the congregation. In Solomon’s prayer we notice the monotheism of the true
faith (23) and that this one God is merciful and faithful to his word (23-24).
God is transcendent (27), and yet has chosen to dwell with his people as they
gather together for corporate worship (29). One also notices the foreshadowing
of Pentecost (41). Even in the OT God was reaching out to the “foreigner.”
Notice that the “foreigner” hears about God. How might that happen? Not by
angels bringing the message but by the people of God sharing the word of God. I’m
reminded of the slave girl who told Naaman about her God (2 Kings 5) and Naaman
was brought to faith in God.

Galatians
1:1-12

Paul gives
an impassioned plea for the Gospel. The Galatians had come to faith in Christ
through the work of Paul. After Paul left, some people from the “Judaizing
party” came to Galatia and began to distort the Gospel with works. “Sure, what
Paul taught was a vital first step, to be truly Christian, to be a real
follower of Jesus, to have assurance that you are really saved, to know that
God is pleased with you, that you will have a home in heaven, then you must do
this or that. Then you will be a real Christian. Then you will have God’s
richest blessings. Just do the following works, and you will complete what you
have begun.” In this particular case, the added “this or that” were dietary restrictions,
observations of certain “holy” days, and probably circumcision. Of course, the “Judaizing”
preachers could point to various Bible passages to support their case. Paul has
no use for such “completions” of the Gospel. Instead of completing the Gospel,
such additions actually change the Gospel into something utterly foreign. Such
is true of all adulterants of the Gospel to this very day. Mankind always wants
to add something to the completed work of Christ, and thereby take credit for
their own salvation. We are but poor beggars before God. The only merit we may
claim is Christ’s.

Luke
7:1-10

This passage
is a foreshadowing of Pentecost and an echo of our Old Testament lesson. It
echoes the OT lesson because we see one of those “foreigners,” in this case a Roman
centurion, who has come to faith in the true God. His prayer for the health of
a beloved servant is directed towards Jesus instead of the temple in Jerusalem.
However, as Jesus is now the “temple” (John 2:18-22), and as such the presence
of God among us, the centurion’s prayer is not only appropriate, but is a model
for all prayer. Some debate just what kind of faith this centurion had. Observe
that he trusted in Jesus and that his “faith” was greater that anyone Jesus had
met in Israel (Israel is a religious designation). This Israel would include
the disciples! Clearly the centurion, then, believed Jesus was the fulfillment
of the hope of the Old Testament. He was saved. This, then, also echoes Paul’s
letter. There is only one place to find salvation. Not in our good works (as
some of the centurion’s friends seem to feel), but in Christ alone. After
Pentecost, there is an explosion of “foreigners” coming to faith.

Faith Receives Good Gifts from God in
the flesh

(Summary from LC-MS)

There is only
one source of life, revealed in only one saving Gospel. Corrupting that Gospel
is serious business. Thus, St. Paul is amazed when the Galatians “are turning
to a different gospel” (Gal. 1:6–7). He insists that he is not trying to “please
man” but be a true “servant of Christ” as he calls down a curse on any “gospel
contrary to the one you received” (Gal. 1:9–10), for that Gospel alone saves.
It saves as it reveals God, whose kindness is manifested in Christ and who
reckons among His people all who share the miraculous faith of the centurion in
God’s Son: “Lord … I am not worthy to have you come under my roof … but say the
word and let my servant be healed” (Luke 7:1-10). For indeed, though as Solomon
admits “the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I
have built?” (1 Kings 8:27), nevertheless in our Lord Jesus’ flesh and blood,
He whose mighty word is faithful to what He promises, comes to us even today in
His Eucharist to dwell in us and bring to all who trust His promise the gift of
everlasting life.

Tidbits

Our first summer Vespers service will be Wednesday, June
5, beginning at 7:00 pm. The sermon series is titled “Breaking
the Rules,” and
focuses on seven “Christian” rules which are no more Christian than what
Paul is contending against in Sunday’s epistle lesson. One might even say
that this Sunday’s epistle lesson is the theme for the whole summer
series. The first message is titled “Our Fickle Hearts.”

Just a reminder, we are all on “Walkabout.” So, get out into your
neighborhoods and start walking about. When you see someone, say hello. If
you don’t know them, introduce yourself. It is that simple.